Month: May 2017

Hello there lovely followers! As you may or may not have known it has been a pretty hectic few weeks for me and the squad. Between finals and trying to finish up all of my work, we’ve had a couple of intense months but it looks like there will be some clear skies ahead! That being said, some new things are being added to Ashley’s Anime in order to bring all kinds of fun content to read. But first, a few updates.

For those of you who follow our Facebook page, we did go to LVL UP EXPO! Here is my exclusive coverage for Las Vegas Informer that you should check out and read. It was a really fantastic convention, and I have to say it was a seriously huge place to find some of the best cosplays in town.

That being said, the Community Gallery has been updated with photos of cosplayers, so if you got a card from us and know your photo was taken please check it out! If anyone is missing any photos, please let me know and we will correct the issue right away.

We also decided to dedicate an entire page to some of the artists who were at LVL UP EXPO. We’ll be adding to this as we go along for different conventions, but if you’re an artist who would like to be on the page please feel free to fill out one of our contact forms and I will get back to you right away with what we need! Ashley’s Anime is a huge supporter of independent artists, so we want to show our support by showing them off! If you’ve ever wondered where we buy some of our merch… There you go.

So what else are we adding to Ashley’s Anime? Well, for one, new writers. No, this does not mean I’m giving up Ashley’s Anime but I do need some help with the content in order to maintain running it. I currently run the company Black Moor Productions, where our podcast is also hosted, and it is getting a lot bigger than I had anticipated (which isn’t a bad thing by any means!). This does mean, however, that I do have to dedicate more time to it. I will also be opening up a new zine coming very soon so please stay tuned for that!

We will also be adding a new column to Ashley’s Anime!

For those of you familiar with Black Moor, you’ve probably heard of Clover Grayson. Well, Clover also goes by The Admiral of the OTP and she will be starting her own shipping log here on the blog very soon! I’m really excited for what the Admiral will bring to the blog; she is both funny and has a lot of really good points when it comes to your ships.

So pleased stay tuned to Ashley’s Anime, there are so many new and exciting things the blog is going to be trying out in the next few months. I want to thank all of the lovely cosplayers who let us take their photos at LVL UP as well as all of the artists who you should all check out as soon as you can!

In a less than two weeks, LVL UP EXPO will be here in Las Vegas. It will be one of Las Vegas’ largest conventions for gamers and anime lovers in the valley. My team and I will be attending this convention for three days and have been preparing for the long haul for months! It’s not like this for everyone, usually just avid cosplayers, but for those of you who’ve never been to a convention and are planning on going to LVL UP, here are some really easy tips for your first time!

Firstly, if this is your first con, don’t cosplay. I say this because, unless you go to cosplay events frequently and are used to the attention, you’ll be too distracted by the people wanting to take your photo and having to keep an eye on your costume that you might not experience the con to its fullest. I can’t imagine what my first convention would have been like if I had gone in a cosplay like Undyne; the paint and now the armor? No way! The following points will help you focus more on really enjoying the convention.

Look at the schedule ahead of time and plan out what you want to do. See what signings you’re adamant about going to and getting an autograph for and what other events might be happening in town. Here in Vegas, I would definitely recommend going to the kinds of events where everyone gets together to participate in activities. Masquerades and lip singing contests are really popular here in Las Vegas’ conventions, so if you ever see one of those it’s always a good way to make friends and meet new people while being highly entertained!

Go with good friends. I went to my first convention with my younger brother and ex. We had a lot of fun, but the atmosphere was definitely different than what it is now when I go with my entire squad. If you can, I advise going with a group of friends. If you have a sizable group, you’re more likely to all get to do what you want or at least most of it. Most likely, someone else in the group wants to see what you want to, so it’s always a good idea. Besides, the more people there, the more everyone can help each other out if someone’s in a jam.

Bring a bag. A backpack, a purse, a small cat that can hold your things, it doesn’t matter. Just make sure you have some way to hold your stuff and anything you might buy while you’re at the convention. This is usually an issue my group and I face when we cosplay, but it also happened to me when I went to my first convention and didn’t know any better.

BRING MONEY AND HAVE A PLAN FOR GETTING HOME! This is my big must for anyone going to a convention. Or even just trips in general. It’s always a good idea to have some kind of backup plan as well. You never know if you’re going to run out of money or your ride will skip. It’s also a good rule of thumb to know your prices and know how to tell real merch from fake merch. As an avid figure collector, I used to drool at the dealer’s alley, but the last few times I’ve gone to a convention, I’ve been careful about what I buy. If I know I can buy the same figure online for much cheaper, and I know it’s real, I’ll hold out. If it’s rare or special, however, I might buy it there for the memory.

Speaking of getting home, not everyone going to a convention is from that city. If you’re coming into Las Vegas for LVL UP, for example, you might want to try booking a hotel close to the convention’s venue. It’s always helpful to know you’re close by in case you need to take a break and relax. Even if you’re from town, I know plenty of cosplayers and con-goers who like to rent a room just in case; besides staycations are always fun! Try Vegas.com for bookings and other travel deals if you’ll be in Las Vegas for LVL UP.

Conventions have something magical about them, believe me. I never thought I would fall in love with them the way I did, but when you get a bunch of people together who all love the same thing, there’s always something so special about the air around the venue; and it’s not just the smell of a freshly painted cosplay or plastic figures because that is literally the smell of my room.

I encourage all anime, game and other geek lovers to go and participate in conventions. They’re such a fun way to get involved with your local geek community and have a fun, and maybe even tiring, weekend. So go out there, fall in love and be safe!

Are any of you going to LVL UP or conventions near you? What are some of your tips? Leave them in the comment section!